Ficano's State of the County: Let's buy back guns to reduce violence

Mar. 4, 2013

Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano listens to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder delivers his annual State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at the State Capitol Building in Lansing. / Jarrad Henderson/Detroit Free Press

“We have all been saddened by the recent horrific shootings of children in Connecticut and elsewhere,” Ficano said at the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit.

Ficano also said he is working on a plan to expand coverage of mental health and substance abuse problems in young people in the court system, funding it with Medicaid money.

The proposals were two of the highlights of Ficano’s 11th annual address. He also said the county has worked hard to balance its budget after losing 30% of its property tax revenue since 2008, pointing out that he doesn’t expect to see property tax revenues rise to 2008 levels until 2025.

“Tonight I would like to call on government leadership at every level in our state to begin a comprehensive and collaborative effort to reform our municipal finance system because there has to be a better way,” Ficano said. “Our current system is based on property tax revenue that was radically reduced, virtually overnight. Our revenue disappeared, but our obligations did not, including numerous unfunded mandates from the state.”

That proposal won a round of applause from the crowd, which included many county workers, but drew mixed reactions from officials, including those on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.

“We do need tax reform,” said Commissioner Kevin McNamara, D-Belleville. “The tax system is broken. We need leadership to go up to Lansing to see how we can fix that.”

But Commissioner Laura Cox, R-Livonia, blasted the idea of changing the Headlee Amendment to the state Constitution, which limits the growth of revenue to local governments to the inflation rate or lower.

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“It’s absolutely wrong for him to even think about talking to the taxpayers” about raising revenue “when he hasn’t done everything he needs to do,” Cox said.

Ficano sounded upbeat and optimistic in the speech, glancing over a scandal that has surrounded his administration since September 2011, when he acknowledged awarding a $200,000 severance payment to former chief development officer Turkia Awada Mullin.

Ficano initially defended the payment, saying it was a contractual obligation, but when no contract could be found, he demanded and received repayment.

The controversy prompted a grand jury investigation in which three people already have pleaded guilty to bribery and related charges. Ficano called the scandal personally painful Monday and noted that his new team was committed to the “highest ethical standards.”

In 2012, two former Ficano appointees, Tahir Kazmi and David Edwards, pleaded guilty to bribery, and last month, a third former appointee, Zayd Allebban, was found guilty at trial of obstruction of justice.

Ficano insisted that “lessons have been learned by all.”

Ficano touted increased investment in the county, a rebound in the auto industry and said when final numbers are in on 2012, the county could see as many as 30,000 more jobs.

“I hope as 2013 unfolds that the reality matches the excitement that the CEO has put into this top priority, which is creating jobs,” said Commissioner Joseph Palamara, D-Grosse Ile.

Ficano didn’t address his political future, which is in doubt because of the scandal surrounding his administration , but insisted he’s more engaged and enthused about his job than ever.